DAI: Dark Conspiracies
by PhantomWriter44
Summary: This is a Leliana and F!OCinquisitor story. What if an assassin sent to kill the Divine ends up at the wrong place and the wrong time? What if that same assassin becomes the Inquisitor? How will the inquisition react when they discover their leader's treachery?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age and I am just writing for fun.**

 **Author:** So I've actually had this story in my Google Drive for a while. I am not sure if I will continue it, I guess it'll depend on if its worth writing. So there, you have been warned. Also, this was originally going to be a try at a one shot smut, but I just couldn't write it, so no smut here! That could be good or bad, depending on your taste.

 **Well, read and review! Enjoy!**

Once more Leliana felt like she was being watched. Her mission in Antivia had been a success, without incident. It was eerie. She retired back to the inn. A fair faced servant that she hadn't seen before served her food. The servant kept her eyes cast down the entire time. She noticed purple bruises near the servants collarbone.

"Are you alright?" Leliana couldn't help but ask the servant. The girl kept her head down.

"I'm fine." the servant whispered as she placed the plates of steaming food down. The servant was most likely a newly bought slave. Leliana hated this part about Antiva. Slavery was legal. It was everywhere. Parents sold their children in times of hardship. Captured soldiers were either ransomed or sold into slavery.

"Are you hungry?" The girl was thin. She had sharp angular jawlines. She shook her head.

"No." she answered.

"It won't get better." Leliana told the girl. The girl remained silent. "Sit." Leliana commanded her. The girl slightly tilted her head up. There was fear in her grey eyes.

"I… I shouldn't." the girl whispered.

"Sit." she commanded again. The girl hesitantly sat down on the chair opposite of her. Leliana pushed the bowl of steaming soup over to her. "Eat."

"I really shouldn't." the girl responded.

"You will need your strength in the time ahead." Leliana responded. The girl hesitantly picked up the spoon and carefully ate the soup while eyeing the open doorway. Something about the girl reminded her of young Cousland when she had just met her. Shy but holding an aura of strength; endurance. Footsteps approached them. The girl quickly jumped up from the seat, knocking the soup over. She scramble to stop the flow of the painfully hot soup with her hands.

"I'm so sorry, my lady." she said as she cleaned up the rest of the soup with a towel.

"Stop." Leliana commanded as she approached the girl. The girl continued cleaning. She reached to halt the servant's hand. But the girl flinched at the contact and withdrew. "You need to put ice on that burn."

"It's nothing." the girl whispered. Leliana grabbed the ice water bucket for the wine and a salve from her sachet. This time she gently took hold of the servant's hand. For a brief moment, grey eyes stared up at her. She cleaned the angry red burns that were starting to swell with the towel and applied a thin layer of the healing salve. "Thank you." the girl mumbled. "I should get you more soup." She hurried off with the tray of food. Another servant girl came back with another tray of food, which remained untouched into the night.

 **-o-O-o-**

Leliana sat by her desk, rereading her note to the Divine. The candle light dwindled. She felt like she was being watched once more. She reached towards her dagger on the table.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." a light feminine voice said. A cold blade pricked her neck. She stared down at the hand and noticed the pink burnt area. "If it makes a difference, I am sorry." the voice spoke. The hand tightened. The moment felt drawn out. One move and everything would be over. The girl's hand trembled and then withdrew. Her assassin stepped back. Leliana immediately took the chance to grab her dagger and face her attacker. The girl held the dagger to her own throat now. Head held high, the girl's grey eyes pierced hers.

"Stop." Leliana commanded.

"One must die." the girl responded in a chilling, confident tone. "Take care, there are eyes and assassins in every corner of Antiva." Leliana took this chance to tackle the girl to the floor, right before she ended herself. The girl didn't resist, when she grabbed the knife away.

She had the girl tied to a chair in her underclothes. The girl carried an assortment of small knives and poison. She searched through her clothing for letters and orders. The girl didn't speak since the assassination attempt. She now had her eyes cast down to the floor. The girl was thin but not frail. Leliana should've allowed her to kill herself, but something stopped her. Perhaps it was the youthful age of the girl. The girl could barely be of age yet, sixteen or seventeen.

"What is your name?" Leliana questioned the girl. The girl looked up. Her grey eyes held no hope.

"I don't have one." she replied.

"They must call you something."

"Thirteen." she responded.

"My name is Leliana."

"I know." she said.

"You must have had a name once." Leliana stated. The girl didn't respond.

"Who sent you?" Leliana asked. The girl looked back down. Jaws tight. Leliana grabbed the knife off of the table. Despite the kindness she had shown the girl before, the girl was an assassin and was sent to kill her. "Tell me who sent you!" Leliana ordered with the knife pointed at Thirteen's neck.

"Go ahead." the girl responded. She dug the knife into the girl's skin so that blood dripped down. The girl hissed in pain, but remained silent.

"Why remain loyal to your slaver?" Leliana questioned angrily. Her brows furrowed. The girl was clearly capable of fighting. She was near silent and could've completed the assassination, going unnoticed till the morning.

"Because I must." she whispered.

"What, do they have your family ransom?" she asked. It was a very likely situation that the assassin would have a loved one they would die to protect. The girl tilted her head up to meet Leliana's. Her grey eyes dimmed.

"family." she repeated. "I don't really have one anymore." It sounded as if it it held a double meaning that Leliana couldn't decipher. Leliana wiped the blood off the girl's neck. It was distracting.

Leliana sat down on the bedside, staring at her tied up prisoner. Unsure of what to do with the young assassin. She didn't have the heart to hurt her more. She had thought that she had been hardened when she was betrayed once more by the Hero of Ferelden at the Temple of the Sacred Ashes. The ashes of Andraste had been tainted by the blood of the dragon. The girl had a look of innocence, well as innocent as an assassin could be. She was like a younger reflection of herself.

"Have you ever killed?" Leliana asked her.

"Yes. Many." the girl replied without any remorse in her voice. It was stated as a fact.

"Then why didn't you kill me?" Leliana asked with interest.

"You did not seem like the others." the girl replied back.

"You have been watching me." Leliana stated.

"Yes." she affirmed. This explained why she had gone without incident. Any other assassin would've noticed a second presence.

"Why?" Leliana asked.

"The way you act. The way you talk. The way you treat others is different than that of my previous targets." she responded.

"How many winters have you survived?" Leliana asked. The girl took a while to think.

"Seventeen bitter winters." she responded. She casted a glance at the woman sitting on the bed. "What of you?"

"Twenty-seven winters." Leliana replied back, surprised that the girl had started talking back. The girl seemed to realize it as well so her jaws tightened again. Leliana needed the girl to talk, so she switched her strategy."Have you ever fallen in love?" Leliana asked the girl, the girl didn't look up this time. She stepped closer to the girl from behind, her footsteps alerting the girl of her presence.

"Love?", the girl scoffed. "In my line of work. It leads to quick deaths." Her line of work. Perhaps she wasn't a slave. This was good to know.

"You've never fallen for anyone?" Leliana whispered close to the girl's ear. She saw a light blush form on the girl's cheeks. She traced the bruise on the girl's collarbone. "What happened?" The girl remained quiet. "You shouldn't let your pretty form be damaged." Leliana teased.

"A little too late." the girl responded. Leliana noticed the light faded scar that ran across the girl's shoulder. It was old. She traced it with her fingers. "Who did this to you?" she asked with anger tight in her voice.

"It was all part of the training." she responded.

"And did you seek vengeance once the training was over?" Leliana asked.

"No." the girl responded. But there was a slight shift in her demeanor as if she had wanted to or still desired to. Talking to the girl gradually gave Leliana small insights into her assassin's life. But never once did she reveal her employer. The moon gradually dipped into the horizon. They had talked for most the night.

 **Good? Bad? Worthy of continuation?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author:** So, I am basically giving you guys, the Readers, everything I've written so far. If I do continue, the updates may be a bit slow. I actually have another fanfic that's been waiting to be finished for quite a while and I am feeling extremely guilty about it. If any of you like **The Phantom of the Opera** , I guess you can check it out. (It's not complete **:'(** Yet)

 **Enjoy!**

Two loud knocks interrupted Leliana from her light nap. She had fallen asleep on her desk. She quickly wiped the drool off her cheeks. She had dozed off, dreaming about that strange encounter with the assassin in Antiva. That had been one of the last time she had actually talked to someone about something other than work. She had momentarily dropped her guard with that girl. The girl was very beautiful now that she thought about it. She wonder briefly where the girl was now. Perhaps she was dead. The thought brought her small pain. Perhaps it was for the better.

"Leliana, open up." Cassandra's voice ordered from outside. Leliana walked to the door and let the right hand in. "A survivor has been found among the ruins. Her hand glows green with unknown magic."

"Where is she?" Leliana asked.

"She unconscious now. But people say they saw her walk out of the fade. They saw a woman with her." Cassandra informed her.

"Is she the only survivor?" Leliana asked.

"They found no one else, but charred bodies." Cassandra replied.

"Take me to her." They left her office and went to the infirmary. The survivor had been given her own separate space. Leliana nearly choked when she saw the face of the survivor. Her hood hid her surprise. But Cassandra had already taken notice of it.

"Do you know her?" she asked.

"I have seen her before." Leliana answered without actually acknowledging the fact that she had spoken to the girl. The girl was leaner now. Her clothes were ragged and black tattoos peeked out from the tears. But the sharp tight jaw line remained the same.

"Who is she?" Cassandra asked.

"An Antivan assassin." Leliana replied back.

"What?!" Cassandra asked in surprise. "What is an Antivan assassin doing here?" Cassandra stiffened and eyed the unconscious woman hostily. "Bring the survivor to the fort's prison." She ordered the men. "How do you know an Antivan assassin?"

"I met her briefly a few years back." Leliana replied. Cassandra's eyes widened in surprise as her mind connected the dots. Leliana left Cassandra to her thoughts as she returned back to her office with her mind as clouded as Cassandra's.

The prisoner's eyes slowly blinked open. She sat in a dark room bounded to a chair. Similar to the awkward events that had occurred a few years back. Never again did she make that similar mistake of knowing her target. It was better to just get the job done, no more games. It was strange that she was tied the same way to the chair. Even the chair was similar. An old wooden chair. Looking around, she noticed that five armed guards surrounded her with their swords drawn.

The door was pushed open, allowing light to flood into the room, darkening the figure towering at the doorway. She kept her head low as the figure approached her. "Tell me why we shouldn't kill you now." a strong female voice asked her. "The conclave is destroyed. Everyone who attended is dead. Except for you." She chose to remain silent. Her mind was a blur. She could barely recall anything. The woman waited for a response. But none came. "Explain this." The woman grabbed her bound hand at a painfully awkward angle. Her upper arms were tied to the chair's back supports. Green sparks flew from her right hand, sending an enormous shock wave of pain through her entire being.

"Ahh." She cried out, failing to suppress her cry of pain.

"Well, what is it?" her interrogator asked.

"I don't know." she finally answered.

"What do you mean you don't know?" the woman cried out furiously. Danger emitted from the woman, enough to make her speak.

"I don't know what that is, or how it got there." she replied.

"You're lying!" the woman accused as she reached for her throat.

"We need her." a familiar voice said as a new figure stepped out from the shadow and pulled the short haired interrogator away. The hooded feminine figure stood between her and the furious woman. The prisoner finally looked up, staring intensely at the figure with her back turned towards her. Time slowed as the figure turned around. Her heart stopped for a brief moment. Looking down at her was the very same woman she had failed to kill all those years ago. Her mouth opened and closed tight.

"Do you remember what happened? How this all began?" Leliana asked her. Part of her wanted to tell her the truth, but the truth would've been too dangerous. So she opted for just parts. Truthfully, she still couldn't recall everything yet.

"I remember running. Things were chasing me, and then…" she paused. "A woman?"

"A woman?" Leliana repeated and hung onto the word.

"She reached out to me, but then…" She couldn't remember as if her memory had been erased.

"Go to the forward camp, Leliana, I will take her to the rift." the short a haired interrogator said. She proceeded to cut off all the rope that bound her to the chair. But her hand chains remained. The woman guided her to the door, but her eyes remained on Leliana, who had already headed out.

The sunlight pierced her eyes, so that she had to turn away. She knew the other woman was watching her closely. Looking up again, she noticed the towering green spiral in the sky. It was magnificent and terrifying at the same time. Another shock wave of pain, sent to her to the ground. The woman's word barely reached her ear. She spoke something about death.

She silently allowed the woman to guide her towards an unknown destination. Outside the gates, everything around her was burning. Burning. The fire and smoke flew high into the sky just like before. Just like that day. Another shockwave and she was on the ground once more, groaning in pain. The short hair woman placed a light hand on her shoulder and pulled her up gently this time. She resumed guiding her to the rift. Just as they were about to cross the bridge, green lightning struck it, sending them down to the frozen lake. Demons appeared around them.

The dark haired woman unsheathed her blade and engaged the nearest one. She stayed behind, her hands still bound by metal chains. She watched cautiously as another demon, who was armed with a sword, appeared from behind the occupied warrior. The demon glided closer to the warrior. The demon raised its sword high about to strike down. In a split second, she jumped between them, catching the sword with the chains and twisting it out of the demon's grasp. She flung the sword into the air, caught it, and beheaded the demon. The sword and demon vanished into ash. The other warrior turned around in time to catch a glimpse of the fight.

"I need a weapon." she told the warrior. She held the chains out to the warrior, who looked at them and chopped the chains in half. She walked over to where a short sword had been dropped by a broken cart and picked it up.

Every few seconds, the other warrior would cast her a suspicious glance and continue speed walking. It was starting to irritate her. "Expecting a dagger to the back?" she called out casually.

"Should I?" the warrior questioned back with some hostility.

"Now would be an inopportune moment." she replied back, without actually answering the question. The woman raised a brow and continued stomping to her destination. They stumbled upon another fight, this time with a dwarf and an elf fighting demons. The battle ended rather quickly. The dwarf and elf were introduced to her. The dwarf, Varric, was rather humorous and it was clear that there was tension between him and the warrior. The elf, Solas, was rather suspicious despite the fact that he had saved her from the green mark. He had grabbed her hand and aimed it at the green rift. Pain had shot through her entire being as the rift closed.

"What is your name?" She asked the warrior.

"I am Cassandra Pentaghast, right hand of the Divine and Seeker of the Chantry." the warrior responded.

"and 78th in line for the Navarran throne." the dwarf added in. This earned him a glare from the Seeker. "What's your name?"

"Estella." She responded.

"No fancy titles?" the dwarf asked.

"A few nicknames here and there. But no, no fancy titles." she responded.

"Nicknames?" he asked.

"Thirteen. Everything else isn't very pleasant." she told him.

"Thirteen, the cursed number." he noted. They made their way through the rest of the valley, easily crushing all the demon resistance that spawned in their path. Closing another rift with just a bit more ease, they reached the gateway back to Haven.

She saw Leliana once more. She was arguing with a priest. Soldier hurried about them. Her attention remained focused on the hooded red head lady. She couldn't explain why she felt so drawn to this lady.

"Come, let's see what trouble's stirring up." Varric said, bringing her attention back to their situation. Both Leliana and the priest paused and looked towards the odd party as they approached.

"You set the prisoner free!?" the priest accused. Without pausing he continued. "As grand chancellor of the Chantry, I hereby order you to take this criminal to Val Royeaux to face execution." She didn't like the sound of it. Her hand immediately slid towards her blade. Cassandra carefully positioned herself between her and the priest,

"Order me? You are a glorified clerk. A bureaucrat!" Cassandra remarked back. Cassandra and Leliana easily won the argument and it was clear who was in charge of the party and soldiers. The priest fell grudgingly silent. The pain in her hand was gradually burning up.

"We must get to the temple it's the quickest route." Cassandra said. The conversation had switched. She tried to focus on it, but the pain was nearly becoming intolerable.

"But not the safest." Leliana argued. Her eyes focused in on the prisoner. "Our forces can charge as a distraction while we go through the mountains." Estella's vision blurred as green currents flickered around her hand and in the sky. She breathed in a breath as she tried to conceal the pain.

"How do you think we should proceed?" Cassandra turned and asked her.

"The fastest way." she responded. "Let's charge with the soldiers." Cassandra seemed to approve with her choice, but Leliana only gritted her teeth. They quickly split up and departed towards the battlefield.

"How the hand?" Cassandra asked as another green flash of lightning exploded from the sky. Estella gripped her hand tightly.

"I'll survive for now." she said through clenched jaws. "Let's just get to the temple." They quickly made their way through the line of soldiers. Near the borderline of soldiers and demons, one soldier stood out amongst the rest. He wore a thick red and black fur pelt across his soldiers. The man finished off the shade with ease and approached their company.

"Lady Cassandra, you managed to close the rift well done." the man said.

"Do not congratulate me, commander. This is the prisoner's doing." Cassandra responded humbly. She was surprised the warrior didn't keep the credit to herself.

"Is it? I hope they're right about you. We've lost a lot of people getting you here." the man responded.

"Huh. You're not the only one hoping that." she responded back. First their prisoner, then their sign of hope. She was unsure how to take it. Being a prisoner would've been easier.

"We'll see soon enough, won't we?" he retorted as he focused back on Cassandra.

They were on the move again. Her hand was constantly burning up as they neared the breach.

 **Read and Review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**!Warning! Please Read this!:** So since I am posting everything. This chapter skips/fasts forward a lot to when Leliana discovers that Estella is a hired assassin tasked with killing the Divine. It's not finished clearly. But read if you want to. If I chose to continue this, this chapter will be deleted, so... I guess it's kind of a teaser.

 **Enjoy!**

 **Leliana x Estella**

"Leliana, what are you doing here?" Estella asked, surprised to find the spymaster in her room.

"I could ask you the same question." Leliana replied evenly.

"This is my room." Estella responded, clearly confused by the question.

"What are you doing in the Inquisition? Why did you come here? Why were you at the Temple of the Sacred Ashes?" Leliana questioned. Leliana proceeded to walk towards Estella, like a cat stalking its prey. Unarmed and in her nightclothes; light brown trousers and a white top, Estella chose to hold her ground.

"You know?" Estella asked her, her eyes barely reaching Leliana's.

"I know." Leliana responded. Estella took in a breathe.

"What are you going to do about it?" Estella whispered.

"I should kill you." Leliana took another stepped towards her and slowly unsheathed her dagger. Estella stood there, with a look of sadness in her eyes as Leliana approached her. "You killed Divine Justinia." Leliana accused. Estella opened and shut her mouth.

"I do not remember what happened." Estella admitted. Leliana's eyes burned with anger. Estella was backed against the cold stone wall by the razor sharp dagger that was slowly pressing against her stomach. Leliana's face was mere centimeters away from hers. "There is still the breach to close." Estella reminded her. She slowly slid her hand towards the dagger and gently held onto Leliana's hand.

"Justice must be served." Leliana stated. Estella's eyes lowered to the ground and then met hers again.

"You may kill me once the breach is sealed." Estella whispered. The dagger slid from Leliana's hand. She looked up into Estella's sad grey eyes.

"Why?" she asked as she reached for Estella's face.

"It was just another contract. The Divine is just a person." Estella responded.

"She was the voice of the Maker and Andraste." Leliana stated.

"I do not believe in the Maker or Andraste." she responded.

"Even after all this?" Leliana asked.

"If there is a Maker, then he sure has a sense of humor." Estella sighed. Leliana traced her jaw line, it sent shivers through her body.

 **So is this story worth continuing or tossing/deleting?**


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